Softener for shoes.



F. M. FURBER.

SOFTENER FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2. 1915.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

2 SHEET$SHEET 1.

F. M. FURBER.

SOFTENER FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2. 1915.

Patnted Jan.21,1919

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK M. FURBER, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOFTENER FOR SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. FURBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Revere, in the. county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Softeners for Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for softening boots and shoes. It has already been proposed to use various devices for softening shoes preliminary to the lasting operation, butall such devices of which I am aware are so constructed as to be capable of treating only the toe of the shoe.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device for softening other portions of shoes, as well as the toes. A further object of my invention is to provide a device wherein both the toe and heel portions of shoes may be softened simultaneously.

A feature of my invention is a member having a shaped surface adapted to be brought loosely into opposed relation to a portion of a shoe and to transmit a softening agent to it.

' Another feature of my invention is a shoe support and means for applying a heated medium around the heel portions of a shoe.

Another feature of my invention consists in relatively adjustable devices for heating the heel and toe. portions of a shoe, respectively, whereby shoes of varying lengths may be treated in the apparatus.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for pur- I poses of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the shoe engaging portions of the device,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device.

- portions of the columns being broken away,

ceive the toe portion of a shoe, and has a board 5 fastened to the inside of its rear wall. Steam is admitted to the column 2 through the pipe 6. The colinnn is full'fof condensed water as far as the overflow 7 which discharges into the pipe 8, and the steam bubbles through this water'before passing up into the chamber 3. A removable cap 9 is mounted in an aperture at the top 'of the chamber, the purpose of which is to regulate the flow of vapor in the chamber 3. A board 10 is mounted on the front of the column, and supports the member 11, upon which is mounted the shoe holding device 12.

The structure so far described is the invention of others, and is protected by United States Letters Patent to Fernald, No. 1,094,546, granted April 28, 1914; Boyden, No. 1,094,547, granted April 28, 1914, and Keyes, No. 1,094,548, granted April 28, 1914.

A support 15 is clamped to the base 1 by the screw 16, and carries the journal 17 which is bored at 18 to communicate with the steam pipe 19. The hollow column 20 is pivoted on this journal and has a hole 21 communicating with the bore 18. Steam may thus be admitted to the column 20 through a regulator valve, bubbling up through the accumulated condensed water which overflows at 22. The top of the column 20 widens out into a steam chamber 23 and has a number of external U-shaped apertures 24, the walls of which have ports 7 arranged that the apertures 24 can be left either open or closed at the top. A member 27 is attached to the top of t e chamber 3 and has a hook 28 adapted to engage any one of a series of holes 29 in the'top of the chamber 23. The chambers 3 and 23 may thusbe relatively adjusted as to distance by pivoting the column 20 on the journal 17, and holding the column 20 in position by the member 27.

In practice a shoe (preferably after it has been pulled over) is placed on theshoe holding means with its too in an aperture 4; The wooden boards 5. 10 hold the shoe from contact with any hotmetal which would be liable to injure the leather. The column 20 is adjusted on its pivot so that the aperture 24 its around the heel portion of the Shoe,

in the apparatus.

While I have shown and described an ap-. paratus in which steam is used as a softenwhich is softened by the steam emerging from the opening 25. The aperture 24:, as

shown, is of considerable vertical extent, and its walls surrounding the counter per-f tion of theshoe, retard the rapid dissipation into the surrounding air of the heated medium which is in contact with the shoe, which would take place if the heated medium were merely discharged against the shoe from a nozzle. The cover plate 26 materially assists in the production of this desirable effect. Meanwhile the toe is softened in the chamber 3 in the well known manner. The covers 9 and 26 will be suitably adjusted to flow the proper mixture of steam and air over the shoe, thus preventing burning of the leather.

The apparatus may be designed to hold oneshoe at a time or any desired number of shoes. When adapted for a number of shoes it is contemplated that the operator will place an unsoftened shoe in the apparatus in the place of each one thathe removes for lasting, and that he will always remove the shoe that has been longest ing agent, my invention in its broader aspects,contemplates the application of either dry or moist heat to the shoe for softening the materials thereof preparatory to lasting.

It will be clear, for instance, that an electric unit could be mounted in the position occupied by the port 25 for applying dry heat to a shoe containing a self-hardening counter; or that hot air, for instance, could be supplied through the ports25, for sof tening such a counter; It will be evident also that the toes of shoes may be softened in the apertures 24, if desired, and that the apertures 24 may be so shaped as to treat still other portions of'the shoes.-

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United- States Letters Patent is 1. In combination, a member constructed and arranged to embrace loosely heel portions of a shoe, and to project a softening agent. upon said portions, and shoe supporting means constructed and arranged to support a shoe in operative relation to the said member.

2. In combination, shoesupporting means and a member constructed andfarranged to embrace loosely the counter portions of a shoe, and to transmit heat to them at a controllable rate.

3. In a machine of the class described, a

constructed and arranged to embrace loosely the heel portion of a shoe, means for supporting a shoe with its heel end in operative relation to said member and means for regulating the supply of heat to the shoe.

4. In combination, shoe holding means, and devices for softening the toe and the counter portions of a shoe respectively, said devices being relatively adjustable to fit shoes of varying lengths.

5. In combination, a shoe support, and devices for softening the toe and heel portions of a shoe respectively, said devices being pivotally joined, whereby they may be relatively adjusted to fit shoes of differ ent lengths.

6. As an article of manufacture, a device for softening one end of ashoe constructed and arranged to be .jadjust'ably 'mounted upon a device for softening the other end of the shoe, whereby the combined devices may simultaneously treat a shoe of any Alength;

7. A machine for softening shoes comprising a heat chamber having a recessconstructed andarranged to envelop the end of a shoe, and to confine a treating medium between the chamber and the shoe, said recess having a U-shaped port for the communication of a heated medium to the shoe.

8. A machine for softening shoes comprising a heat chamber'having a substantially flat top and a recess constructed and arranged to fit loosely around the end of a shoe and a hinged cover forsaid recess arranged to control the movement of fluid within the recess, the walls of said recess being apertured to permitthe transmission of a heated medium to the shoe.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, means for supporting a shoe, a member constructed and arranged to embrace the rear portion of a shoe adjacent to the corner between its counter and heel seat portions and to communicate a softening agent directly tothe said corner, and means for supplying the softening agent to the said member.

' 10. In a device of the character described, a member having a port, constructed and arranged to extend around the rear part of a shoe with the port adjacent to the corner between the. counter and heel seat portions of the shoe, means forsupplying a heated medium through the port, and means to "FRE ERIC M. FUIRBER. 

